The present invention relates to a step stool, and particularly, to a folding step stool having legs that fold between an opened use position and a collapsed storage position. More particularly, the present invention relates to a folding step stool having a plastic a front leg and a back leg and a latch movably mounted in a handle of the front leg.
Step stools having legs that fold between opened and collapsed positions are known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,485,892 to Maloney et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,629 to Schaffer et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 2,109,886 to Lewis; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,702,249 to Davidson, each of which show examples of such step stools.
According to the present invention, a step stool includes a frame that has a front leg and a rear leg and a latch movably coupled to the front leg. The rear leg is coupled to the front leg for pivotal movement between an opened position in which a bottom portion of the front leg is spaced apart from a bottom portion of the rear leg and a collapsed position in which the front and rear legs are folded together.
The front leg of the step stool includes opposite leg members, a handle portion extending between the leg members, and a step spaced-apart from the handle portion. The rear leg of the step stool includes opposite rear leg members each including an elbow pivotably coupled to the front leg so that the frame moves between the opened and closed positions.
In preferred embodiments, the latch is coupled to the handle portion of the front leg. The latch engages the rear leg when the frame is in the opened position to block pivoting movement of the frame from the opened position toward the collapsed position. In addition, the rear leg includes a cross strut extending between the rear leg members. The cross strut supports the step when the frame is in the opened position.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.